We begin a new era, and for our subscribers and staff, this is truly historic and exciting.

Today marks the re-launch of the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s enhanced grbj.com website. It is now up and delivering timely and pertinent business news with all of our trusted accuracy and analysis. I am proud of our new capabilities to produce original content and real-time news, updated throughout the day.

This addition continues our tradition and long-standing commitment to provide the Grand Rapids-West Michigan business community with the best in local business news reporting. Now, you will have access to that news on a variety of different platforms, produced by an expanded staff of experienced journalists you have come to know and trust.

The online content and reporting goes beyond what our print edition has to offer, so make sure you check in with us every day to keep up with West Michigan’s ever-evolving and dynamic business community.

Our readers will be able to comment on, discuss and share stories using this new and robust online platform.We will be mobile-friendly and add more mobile apps and special content.

We also will carry blogs by local business leaders and industry experts, and we will deliver our stories with timely emails and alerts, all of which can be managed by you, the reader. Other features include searchable article archives spanning more than a decade, and premium online access for Business Journal subscribers.

The GRBJ print publication also receives benefits from this enhanced coverage and expanded staff as we will continue to deliver the Grand Rapids Business Journal on Mondays, much as we have done for nearly 30 years. I would encourage longtime subscribers to give the website a try.

The goal is to offer more coverage of the local and regional business community in the format that’s easiest for readers to access, whether that’s online or in print.

We added several new editorial staffers to produce all the additional content. Tim Gortsema, Business Journal managing editor, manages the overall content of both print and online channels and all the multiple platforms and reader engagements. New hire Chris Ehrlich, online editor, will direct grbj.com. New reporters Mike Nichols and Charlsie Dewey, along with new researcher/reporter Pat Evans, join veterans David Czurak and Pete Daly to form the strongest business news-gathering team in West Michigan.

Project director Scott Sommerfeld, new media, design and production manager, and his project team of Scott Miller, circulation and marketing director, Dana Blinder, marketing coordinator, and Ehrlich and Gortsema, worked tirelessly for the past several months to bring the new grbj.com to fruition. Senior managers Carole Valade, editor, Randy Prichard, sales manager, and Pam Brocato, finance and administration manager, provided counsel, creativity and practical insights every step of the way.

I encourage you to visit the all new grbj.com and tell us what you think.

John H. Zwarensteyn is publisher of Gemini Publications, which includes Grand Rapids Business Journal, Grand Rapids Magazine, Michigan Blue Magazine and Grand Rapids Family Magazine. Email John at jzwarensteyn at grbj dot com.

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About GRBJ

Since 1983, the Grand Rapids Business Journal has been West Michigan's primary and most-trusted source of local business news. The weekly print edition of the Business Journal, a must-read for the area’s top decision-makers, is known as the business newspaper of metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon and all of West Michigan.

grbj.com provides the same trusted and objective business reporting that the Business Journal is known for -- plus real-time original content, timely enewsletters/alerts, exclusive blogs and more. Business Journal subscribers receive the weekly print edition, including bonus publications like the annual Book of Lists, and also complete access to all content on grbj.com.

The Grand Rapids Business Journal is published by Gemini Publications.